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What really is Poverty?

Poverty is well known to all and is considered a scourge of modern day society. However, when individuals are asked to describe poverty, they seem to have mixed responses.



The WorldBank (WB) has given itself its mission to "end extreme poverty" by 2030. WB aims to identify progress through regularly measuring against various levels with the International Poverty Line being USD 1.90 per day.

Poverty definitions however can be deceptive and when definitions used come into focus, the variances of interpretation make the matter even more confusing. One area of concern is that Poverty using such metrics rely heavily on consumption and monetary spending capability derived from corresponding income.

How does one call a farmer with a smallholding (say about 2 hectares) of arable and well irrigated land, healthy crops and livestock as poor because the farmer cannot send their children to Higher Education institutions in a far away city and pay expensive tuition fees?

The question we ask therefore is, is there any measure that truly shows a humans worth?

The conversation continues: www.rdjconsulting.co.za



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